The Jack Doll
by Mystic Spirit Angel
Summary: Amelia is at home in Samhain and has a special doll modeled after her dearest friend. What happens when said friend decides to pop in and she hastily tries to hide it? Better than it sounds, it's really cute. TNAB Oneshot


**Hello my good friends! It's been a long time since I've posted anything with the contest going on and trying to write out the outline for the sequel. I did happen to find this cute and humerous oneshot stashed away in my arsenal so I thought I'd share it with you guys! This story is actually based off a picture you can see on the TNAB website in the fanart gallery. It's titled _The Jack Doll_. Please enjoy!**

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It was late evening in the small town of Samhain and the sun's setting rays painted the sky with soft streaks of yellows and oranges, pinks and purples. It looked as though it was straight out of an artist's masterpiece. That is how the sky seemed through Amelia's eyes as she gazed through her bedroom window.

"I love evenings like this." She spoke barely above a whisper as a small smile graced her lips.

She sat atop her neatly made bed surrounded by a slightly messy room. Her eyes were still fixated on the view from her large window. She walked over to the window and undid the latch that kept it locked. She gently pushed on the glass and it separated down the middle. It opened wide to fully welcome the dream-like scene before her. She smiled again and took a deep breath of the refreshing, early autumn air.

After gazing for a minute or so, she managed to turn away from the beautiful sight and walked over to a tall chest of drawers. Placed on top of it was a small doll of a smiling skeleton in a pinstripe suit with a bat-bowtie and button eyes. Her fingers delicately lifted the doll up from its resting place and held it close to her as she sat on her bed to stare out the open window again. She brought her knees up and gently laid the small figure on them. She lightly placed two fingers upon its soft head and gazed at its happy expression. She blushed softly and giggled as she thought of whom the doll was made to look like.

Suddenly, the bushes alongside the house beneath her bedroom window began to rustle, and there was no wind to move them. Cautiously, she got up from her bed holding the skeleton figure in one hand and warily moved toward the suspicious sound. She quietly placed her free hand on the window's ledge and started to lean over to find the source of the soft noise.

"Hello Amelia!" Jack suddenly popped his head out of the bushes.

"Wah!!" She jumped back in surprise, tripped over her own feet, and landed on her rear with her back against her bed.

"Sorry Ami," he said as he climbed through her window, "didn't mean to startle you."

"Jack! What are you doing here!?" Amelia had quickly hid the doll behind her back has he had made his way in.

"What?" he put his hand on his hips, "Can't I visit my good friend at her own home once in a while?" He offered his hand to her to help her up, which she took while still keeping the look-alike figure of him behind her.

"What if my parents were here?" she said once she was on her own two feet again, "I don't think they would react too pleasantly to an undead skeleton in the house."

"Oh and you reacted pleasantly?" he raised a would-be eyebrow and chuckled. "Besides, I knew you were home alone, there are no cars in your driveway."

"Well, someone outside or the neighbors could have spotted you!" she pointed out.

"As an Atrum sorcerer, it's easy for me to hide in the shadows. And I know no one can see me because I've done so for years." He countered. He then noticed that she had been keeping one of her hands from sight. "Speaking of hiding, what's that behind your back?"

"Eh? Oh, nothing." She hastily averted her eyes from his gaze.

"Amelia, you're lying." He said bluntly as he crossed his arms. "You're keeping something from me."

"No I'm not." She shook her head for emphasis.

"Yes you are." He was determined to find out.

"No I'm not." She said stubbornly.

"Yes, you are." He spoke more sternly this time.

"No, I'm not." She shook her head again and closed her eyes as she lifted her chin in the air.

"Hmm…" he stuck out his jaw for he was getting frustrated with her little game. "Alright," he shrugged, "you win."

With her eyes still closed, she didn't see the smirk spread across his face as he moved his index finger to point out toward a shadow and it began to move. It grew longer and moved behind her. It wrapped around the object in her hand and yanked it out of her grasp.

"Hey!" she shouted in protest and tried to make a grab for the doll, which failed, for the shadow was too fast.

Jack uncrossed his arms and placed one hand on his side while he held the other one out. The shadow placed the small object in his palm and then slithered back to its original form. Jack was a little surprised to see that it was himself as a doll that she had been hiding. He then noticed something familiar about it, other than who it was modeled after.

"Did you get this for Christmas by any chance?" he asked.

His question took her slightly aback for she had expected him to laugh or tease her as his reaction.

"Um…yes. I did." She answered a little confused.

"Heh, I thought it looked familiar." He chuckled, "I can tell that this is Sandy Claws's handiwork because the stitching is similar to that of the teddy bear I gave you that he gave to me." He beamed, "It was nice of him to make it for you." He handed the doll back to her.

"Yeah," she laughed softly and gratefully took the small figurer back. "I got it several years ago when I was a child." She smiled, although the truth was that she had received the gift only a year ago.

He laughed, "Amelia, you are _still_ a child." He said as she placed the doll back in its place atop the chest of drawers.

"Hey, no I'm not." She said sternly as she turned to face him. "I'm sixteen and that officially makes me a young woman." She put her hand on her hips and her face held a proud expression.

"If memory serves me," he held his chin in thought, "you don't turn sixteen for another two months. Plus, I don't know of any young _woman_ who has kept all of her dolls." He gestured to a small wooden cradle near her bed filled with stuffed animals and dolls.

"They have sentimental value!" she pointed out as she crossed her arms, "And I don't want to get rid of them." She said stubbornly.

"Of course, what _ever_ was I thinking?" he stated sarcastically. He then walked over to where she had placed the miniature version of himself and looked at it with a puzzled expression for a moment.

"Do my eyes really look like buttons?" he asked.

Amelia couldn't help but laugh and as he looked at her, Jack couldn't help but join in.

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**What'd I tell you? Cute neh? XD Thanks for reading! **


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